2016

Dunkler Fluss

PDF Link Formation : 1.1.2.1.; 1.1.0.0.; Pi., Acc.; 1.1.1.1.1 Program Notes : [EN] This piece was written between March and June 2016, for the parisian-based Ensemble Erasme. The ensemble instrumentation forced me to find ways of orchestration I haven't thought of before. I subsequently chose a highly manipulable material, made of seven notes; it is exposed, in its simplest and purest form, at the very beginning of the piece, before being dissolved into time through different textures and pitch combinations. The temporality of the piece goes basically from its starting point to some kind of culmination, but never cease to give back to the listener already perceived fragments from before, since all the material is derived from this seven-note cell. The tittle Dunkler Fluss (dark flow) refers to a possible, non-random component of the peculiar velocity of galaxy clusters. Its existence would suggest the possibility of frontiers beyond our universe, resulting in a model with several universes. This tittle suggests utopia, unexplored possibilities... These are aspects that appeal to me, and are also a nod to my former scientific studies. I want to give my warmest thanks to Thibault Back de Surany, who trusted me to make this piece happen, and all the musicians from the Ensemble Erasme.

Dans les pas de la main

PDF Link Formation : 1.0.1.1.Sax.; 0.0.1.0; Perc. Solo, Hp.; 0.0.1.1.1 Program Notes : [EN] Dans les pas de la main is probably my most visceral work to date, delving deeply into a gloomy sound world made of unusual textures. Written in a moment of transition in my life (a few months before starting my PhD), I wanted this piece to reflect the sum of the work I accomplished in the last three years, both as a composer but also as a person. In this sense, the piece use three main principles easily perceptible in the work: a focus on brushed, granular sounds, metallic impacts (both high-pitched and very deep, uncertain pitches), as well as a more traditional micro-tonal writing with a solo sixxen cadenza. I also really wanted to focus on time structures throughout the piece, and shape perception through, sometimes, repetition or on the contrary, extreme brevity. Concerning the pace of the piece, it follows my latest researches in using very slow tempi as a mean of rhythmic fluctuation. The vast majority of Dans les pas de la main is scored in such a way that gestures become nearly incertain, emphasizing the textural work of the « percussionist — performer ». The tittle comes from one of the texts written by Roland Barthes about Cy Twombly’s work, where the author unsuccessfully tries to reproduce the writing gestures of the painter. There, he puts himself « […] dans les pas de la main de Cy Twombly », in the footsteps of Cy Twombly’s hand, trying to imitate those famous patterns. In this work, I also tried to be as close as possible to the percussionist’s gesture, by merging myself in an imaginary sonic world where extreme gestures would be reflective of today’s heavily injonctive society. An heartfelt thank you to Caleb Herron for helping me shaping this work.